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1918 
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Document 
297 



Proposed Transfer of Bureaus from 
Washington to other Cities 



MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 
OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRANSMITTING 

IN RESPONSE TO A SENATE RESOLUTION OF SEPTEMBER 6, 1918, 
REPORTS FROM THE HEADS OF THE SEVERAL EXECUTIVE DEPART- 
MENTS AND INDEPENDENT GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHMENTS, IN 
REFERENCE TO THE MATTER OF TRANSFERRING FROM WASHINGTON 
TO OTHER CITIES IN THE COUNTRY, FOR THE DURATION OF THE 
WAR, BUREAUS AND PARTS OF BUREAUS OF THE 
SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS 




October 28, 1918. — Ordered to lie on the table and to be printed 



WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1918 



^\< 



5' 



Senate Resolution 296. 

In the Senate of the United States, 

September 6, 1918. 
Resolved, That the President be requested, where compatible with the public 
service, for the purpose of relieving the congestion of population in the District 
of Columbia, to order the transfer from Washington to other cities in the coun- 
try for the duration of the war of such bureaus or parts of bureaus, commis- 
sions, and subdivisions of the several departments as can discharge their func- 
tions and pex'form their duties as well outside of said District as within its 
boundaries, such order to be effective not later than the 1st day of October, A. D. 
1918. 
Attest : 

James M. Bakee, Secretary. 
P. G. M. says none. 

' ■ n, •t ». 

m 21 1919 



LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



To the Senate: 

I transmit herewith, for the information of the Senate, in response 
to the resolution adopted by the Senate on September 6, 1918, num- 
bered S. Ees. 296, reports made by the heads of the several executive 
departments and independent Government establishments, in ref- 
erence to the matter of transferring from Washington to other cities 
in the country, for the duration of the war, such bureaus, or parts of 
bureaus, commissions, and subdivisions of the several departments 
as could discharge their functions and perform their duties as well 
outside of said District as within its boundaries. From these reports 
it will be noted that the heads of the executive departments and 
independent Government establishments do not deem it advisable 
to remove any branch of the Government service now located within 
the District of Columbia to any other location. 

WooDROw Wilson. 

The White House, 

%8 October, 1918. 

3 



PROPOSED TRANSFER OF BUREAUS, ETC., FROM 
WASHINGTON TO OTHER CITIES. 



Department of State, 
Washington^ September 10^ 1918. 

My Dear Mr. President: I have the honor to acknowledge the 
receipt, through your secretary, of a copy of Senate resokition 296, 
providing, where compatible with the public service and for the 
purpose of relieving the congestion of population in the District of 
Columbia, for the transfer from Washington to other cities in the 
country, for the duration of the war, of such bureaus or parts of 
bureaus, commissions, and subdivisions of the several departments as 
can discharge their functions and perform their duties as well out- 
side of said District as within its boundaries, such order to be 
effective not later than October 1 next. 

In reply to your request for a report as to whether any of the 
branches of the Department of State could discharge their functions 
and perform their duties as w^ell outside of the District of Columbia 
as within its boundaries, I would respectfully advise you as follows : 

It is presumed that the resolution of the Senate relates exclusively 
to those branches of the several departments now located at the seat 
of government. With this understanding and bearing in mind the 
close coordination of the several bureaus, divisions, and offices com- 
prising the Department of State, I feel confident none of them could 
discharge its functions or perform its duties as well outside the 
District of Columbia as within its boundaries. 

I hesitate, in view of no intimate detailed knowledge of the inter- 
dependencies between the several other executive departments and 
their respective branches, to express my judgment as to the action 
which should be taken in response to the resolution as it may affect 
their work and activities. 
Faithfully, yours, 

Robert Lansing. 

The President, 

The White House. 



The Secretary of the Treasury, 

W ashing ton^ September 26, 1918. 
Dear Mr. President : Replying to Mr. Tumulty's letter requesting 
a report as to whether there are any bureaus or divisions of the Treas- 
ury Department which could discharge their functions and perform 
their duties as well outside the District of Columbia as here, I beg to 
advise that I have had the question carefully considered and find that 
at the present time there does not seem to be anj' way m which any 
more work of the Treasury Department may be taken out of Wash- 
ington. 



6 TRANSFER OF BUREAUS FROM WASHINGTOIT. 

First, I should draw to your particular attention the following pro- 
visions of the Eevised Statutes : 

Sec. 233. There shall be at the seat of Government an Executive Department 
to be known as the Department of the Treasury, and a Secretary of the Treas- 
ury, who shall be the head thereof. 

Sec. 1796. All offices attached to the seat of Government shall be exercised In 
the District of Columbia, and not elsewhere, except as otherwise expressly 
provided by law. 

These provisions of law would seem to prohibit the moving of any 
of the bureaus and divisions of the Treasury Department from Wash- 
ington without specific authorization of the Congress. I give below 
a statement of the many activities which are already conducted in the 
field and the reasons, entirely apart from the provisions of the law 
quoted above, which make it impracticable at the present time to 
transfer any more of the work from Washington. 

In the interest of efficiency and on account of the very great demand 
for labor and space in Washington, it has been the constant policy of 
the Treasury Department to decentralize its operations as much as 
possible. I cite the activities of the War Loan Organization as an 
illustration in this direction. From the beginning of the war I have 
maintained in Washington only sufficient force of the A¥ar Loan 
Organization to direct the campaigns for Liberty Loans, War Savings 
Certificates, and Certificates of Indebtedness, in addition to the force 
necessary to conduct the physical operations of printing, engraving, 
issuing, converting, redeeming, and registering bonds. The very char- 
acter of the latter work, performed by the Bureau of Engraving and 
Printing, the Register of the Treasury, and the Division of Loans 
and Currency, and its close relation to the Secretary's Office which 
exercises constant supervision and direction, makes it impossible to 
transfer those activities from Washington. The great agencies for 
selling the bonds and certificates, however, are located in the field. 
These agencies are centralized, under the general direction of the 
Treasury Department in Washington, in the several Federal Reserve 
banks which have charge of the campaigns in their respective districts. 
The Federal Reserve banks in turn have organized Liberty Loan com- 
mittees in the various cities in their territories and in this way the 
work is further distributed over the country. 

The greater part of the work of collecting the taxes is done in 
the field through the offices of the various collectors of internal reve- 
nue and internal-revenue agents throughout the country. The execu- 
tive administration of this service, and the filing and auditing of re- 
turns, are duties of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue which are 
performed in Washington. Under the law all regulations of the 
Internal-Revenue Service are subject to the approval of the* Secre- 
tary of the TreasurjT^, and many of the commissioner's decisions also 
require the specific approval of the Secretary. As a result, his office 
is in close and intimate touch with the office of the Secretary, and it 
would seem impossible to transfer any more of the activities of the 
Internal-Revenue Bureau from Washington. 

In the case of the Bureau of War Risk Insurance, it is believed to 
be impracticable at the present time for that bureau to function 
efficiently and effectively elsewhere than in Washington. It is neces- 
sary for the bureau to be in close touch with the records of the War 
and Navy Departments which are on file only in Washington and 



TEANSFER OP BUREAUS EEOM WASHINGTON". 7 

which are being constantly consulted. To separate the bureau from 
the Treasury here at this time, it is believed, would involve great in- 
convenience, delay, and loss in efficiency. 

The work of the offices of the Comptroller of the Currency and the 
Treasurer of the United States is of such character and of such in- 
timate relation to the entire transactions of the Treasury Department 
that it would be impossible to transfer any of it outside the District 
of Columbia. Likewise, the work of the Comptroller of the Treasury 
and the auditors for the various departments must be clone in Wash- 
ington where the accounts are received and audited. The offices of 
the Director of the Mint. Federal Farm Loan Bureau, Bureau of the 
Public Health, Supervising Architect, Customs Division, and Secret 
Service Division are represented in Washington by comparatively 
small forces, and their work is so related to other parts of the depart- 
ment that they could not be moved without great confusion and re- 
sulting inefficiency. 

I am deeply impressed with the seriousness of the congestion in 
Washington and am sincerelv sorry that there seems to be no way 
at the present time for the Treasury Department further to decen- 
tralize its work. The subject shall continue to have my careful con- 
sideration, and -if there is any way in which the Treasury can assist 
in affording relief I shall be glad to take the necessary steps to do so. 
Cordially, yours, 

W. G. McAdoo. 

The President, 

The White House. 



War Department, ' 
Washington, September 30, 1918. 
My Dear Mr. Tumulty : Your communication of September 9 with 
reference to the removal of agencies of the War Department from this 
city is now the subject of a study by my military associates in connec- 
tion with the War Industries Board. It has been found that these 
agencies of the War Department are so intimately connected with the 
nonmilitary agencies, such, for example, as the Food Administration, 
that it will be impracticable to move the military agency without 
moving the interlocking nonmilitary agency. 

When decisions are made as to the future location of procurement 
agencies operating through the War Industries Board, the matter 
can be very quickly adjusted with reference to corresponding subdivi- 
sions in the War Department. 

Sincerely, yours, Benedict Crowell, 

Acting Secretary of War. 
Hon. J. P. Tumulty, . 

Secretary to the President. 

Office of the Attorney General, 

Department of Justice, 
Washington, D. C, Septerriber 13, 1918. 
The President, 

The White House. 
Dear Mr. President : On the 9th Mr. Tumulty sent to me copy of 
a resolution adopted by the Senate on September 6, a copy of which 



8 TRANSFER OF BUREAUS FROM WASHINGTON, 

is hereto attached, and asked that I send you a report as to whether 
there were under my jurisdiction any bureaus or parts of bureaus, 
commissions, or subdivisions, which could discharge their functions 
and perform their duties as well outside the District of Columbia as 
here; he. also asked my judgment as to what action should be taken 
in response to the resolution. 

After canvassing the situation, I have reached the conclusion that no 
bureau or subdivision of this department now located in Washington 
could be transferred elsewhere without impairment of its efficiency. 
All told, we have onlj^ 451 employees in Washington. 

I do not think that you are called upon to do more than acknowledge 
the receipt of the resolution. 
Faithfully, yours, 

T. W. Geegoey, 
Attorney General. 



Navy Depaetment, 
Washington.^ September ^-5, 1918. 
Sir : Eeplying to your letter of September 9, 1918, inclosing copy 
of Senate resolution 296, of September 6, 1918, and requesting to be 
advised as to whether there are under the jurisdiction of this depart- 
ment any bureaus, parts of bureaus, commissions, or subdivisions 
which could discharge their functions and perform their duties as 
well outside the District as here, I have to state that this matter was 
referred to the bureaus and offices of the Navy Department, which 
report, without exception, that it is impracticable to transfer any part 
of their activities outside the District of Columbia. 
Sincerely, yours, 

JosEPHus Daniels. 
Hon. J. P. Tumulty, 

Secretary to the President., 

The White House. 



The Secretaey or the Inteeior, 

Washington. Septerrhber 11., 1918. 
My Dear Me. Peesident: I have your note regarding removal 
from the District of the activities which might well be removed, in 
order to get office space. 

You may know that we already have given 425 rooms to the Army 
and Navy and are very much congested. It would be possible to 
move the Pension Office and the Patent Office to some other city, in- 
asmuch as they are more self-contained than any other bureau, but 
there are about 2,100 people in these bureaus, one-half of whom, per- 
haps, own their own homes in this city. Some of them have lived 
here for 30 or 40 years. 

Cordially and faithfullj?^, yours, 

Franklin K. Lane. 
The President, 

The White House. 



TRANSFER OP BUREAUS FROM WASHINGTON. 9 

The Secretary of Agriculture, 

Washington, Septerriber 18, 1918.. 
Dear Mr. Tumulty : I have your note of September 9, inclosing a 
copy of the resohition adopted by the Senate on September 6. I have 
carefully canvassed the situation in this department and I find that 
it would be impossible, without serious loss in efficiency, to remove to 
other cities any branches of the department now located in Washing- 
ton. Approximately 80 per cent of the employees of the department 
are now stationed in the field and, generally speaking, only the neces- 
sary administrative machinery and labort^tory facilities are main- 
tained here in Washington. 
Sincerely, yours, 

D. F. Houston, Secretary. 
Hon. J. P. Tumulty, 

Secretary to the President. 



Department of Commerce, 
Office of. the Assistant Secretary, 

Washington, September 13, 1918. 
My Dear Mr. Tumulty : Your letter to Secretary Kedfield, dated 
September 9, inclosing a copy of a resolution adopted by the Senate 
requesting the President to order the transfer from Washington of 
bureaus, commissions, etc., during the war, came while both the Sec- 
retary and I were absent in connection with the United States- Cana- 
dian fisheries conference. 

Secretary Reclfield will probably return next Monda5^ In the 
meantime permit me to say that I have given the matter some consid- 
eration and fail to discover in the Department of Commerce anj^ spot 
or place where it seems to me to be feasible to take any action which 
would tend to relieve the congestion in Washington. 

We full}'' recognize the situation, and if we find there is anything 
we can do to help, I assure you it will be done most cheerfully. 

It seems to me that some of the newly created commissions — Food, 
Fuel, Alien Property, etc, — might be located elsewhere without ma- 
terial sacrifice of efficiency, but this could best be determined by the 
heads of such commissions, and the action you are taking will prob- 
ably secure responses indicating what can be done in that line. 
Sincerely, yours, 

E. F. Sweet, Acting Secretary. 
Hon. J. P. Tumulty, 

ISecretary to the President, 

The White House, Washington. 



Department of Commerce, 

Office of the Secretary, 
Washington, September 17, 1918. . 
My Dear Mr. Tumulty : Your letter of September 9, in regard 
to relieving congestion in Washington, has been called to my atten- 
tion on my return. 

I note Mr. Sweet's reply thereto of th«^ 13th instant. Tliis last is 
correct ; only it occurs to me to add to it that we are already conduct- 



10 TEANSFER OP BUEEAUS FEOM WASHIIJrGTON. 

ing a considerable part of our departmental work in several services 
in branch offices located throughout the country, and are glad so far 
as lies within our power to extend this further. 
Sincerely, yours, 

William C. Eedfield, 

Secretary. 
Hon. J. P. Tumulty, 

Secretary to the President^ 

The White House^ Washington. 



Department of Labor, 

Office of the Secretary, 
Washington., Septeniber 'Blf.yWlS. 
My Dear Mr. Tumulty : Eeceipt is acknowledged of your commu- 
nication of the 9th instant, transmitting copy of the resolution 
adopted by the Senate relative to the possibility of removal of cer- 
tain bureaus or departments from the District of Columbia for the 
purpose of relieving the congestion of population therein. In reply 
thereto you are advised that the Department of Labor is made up 
of a number of small units, the removal of any one or two of which 
would render no material relief. 

A copy of your letter and the resolution mentioned therein has 
been communicated to each bureau or service in the department, 
and the answers thereto are to the effect that the activities of each 
are so intimately connected with those of the other services of the 
Government in the District of Columbia, particularly the produc- 
tions divisions of the War and Navy Departments, that to be re- 
moved therefrom would seriously impair their efficiency. 
Cordially, yours, 

W. B. Wilson, 

Secretary. 
Hon. J. P. Tumulty, 

Secretary to the President., 

White House., Washington.^ D. C. 



Interstate Commerce Commission, 

Washington, September i^, 1918. 
Hon. J. P. Tumulty, 

Secretary to the President^ the White House. 
My Dear Mr. Secretary: Your letter of September 9 was duly 
received inclosing a copy of Senate resolution 296, requesting the 
President to transfer from Washington such bureaus or parts thereof 
as could discharge their functions as well outside of the District as 
within. 

I have very carefully canvassed the question of what bureaus of 
the Interstate Commerce Commission would fall under the category 
above referred to. The only one that could by any reasonable pos- 
sibility come within this class is the Valuation Bureau of the Eastern 
District. We have five or six valuation districts and the Eastern Dis- 



TRANSFER OP BUREAUS FROM WASHIlirGTOISr. 11 

trict has its headquarters here. Thej^ have discontinued bringing to 
Washington men for temporary work, and the bureau, all told, would 
number about 55 in the Engineering Department and perhaps 35 in 
the Law, Land, and Accounting Sections. 

I took this up promptly on September 10 with Mr. Prouty, Direc- 
tor of Valuation, and a copy of his reply is returned herewith. 

I am bound to say that I rather am compelled to agree with him. 
If this bureau were ordered away from Washington, two-thirds of the 
employees would resign and take service in other departments here 
in Washington. Moreover, very real hardship would be imposed 
upon those who should actually go, in cases where they own houses 
here in the District. Besides, the work of the division would be badly 
disrupted. I have discussed this matter with Commissioner Meyer, 
and we both are of opinion that, bad as is the present congestion, the 
degree of relief to be purchased by the removal of this bureau would 
be bought at too high a cost, would result in relatively few. of the 
present force leaving the city, would work hardship in many in- 
dividual cases, and would disrupt the work and augment the expense 
of doing the current work of this bureau. 

There is no other bureau of the commission whose removal from 
Washington is thinkable. It might be perfectly feasible to remove 
the entire commission with each and every bureau and department 
thereof, let us say, to Chicago or St. Louis, but this would require 
an act of Congress as the statute makes Washington the official head- 
quarters of the commission. 

Sincerely, yours, W. M. Daniels, 

Chairman. 



Interstate Commerce Commission, 

Office of the Director of Valuation, 

Washington^ September 11., 1918. 
Memorandum to the Chairman : 

Replying to yours of September 10, 1918, inquiring whether the 
offices of the Eastern District of the Bureau of Valuation could be 
transferred to some other point than Washington. 

The offices of all other districts are located away from Washington, 
and, of course, the same thing might be done in case of the Eastern 
District. We find it convenient to be in actual contact, so to speak, 
with the Eastern District office, but that is not a matter of great im- 
portance. So far as the mere discharge of the functions of that dis- 
trict are concerned, there is little against the transfer. 

At the same time I believe such a transfer would be most unfortu- 
nate and unwise at the present time. The total number of office em- 
ployees of this district residing in Washington is 55. Of these 20 
actually own the houses in which they live. Twenty more have leased 
apartments or houses and established homes. Of the remaining 15 
many are the members of families. For example, the stenographer 
of Mr. Wendt is the wife of a man working in the War Department. 
The stenographer of Mr. Spencer is the wife of a man working in 
some other department; the Navy, I believe. Every one of our em- 
ployees could readily obtain employment in Washington and usually 
at a higher compensation than we pay. If these offices were to be 
transferred to-day to Baltimore, mo^t of these emploj^ees would leave 



12 TEANSFEE OF BUKEAUS FROM WASHINGTON. 

our employment and enter the employment of the Government rather 
than to break up the homes which they have established here. 

In ordinary times it would be possil^le to recruit a new force in 
another city ; it is very doubtful if it could be done to-day. If such 
new force could be recruited, it would require, owing to the fact that 
most of them are experts doing expert work, one year to bring that 
force up to its present efficiency, and during^that year we could hardly 
perform what the present force would accomplish in six months. 

I am constrained to urge, therefore, that you do not recommend 
that the transfer should be made. 

Pkouty, Director. 

The Chairman. 



Federal Trade Commission,. 

Office of the Chairman, 
Washington., September 11., 1918. 

Mr Dear Mr. Tumulty: Yours September 9, 1918, re removal of 
bureaus, etc., from the District. 

A major part of the present work of the Federal Trade Commis- 
sion is cost finding and expert accounting upon order and in aid of 
the Army, the Navy, the War Industries Board, the Fuel Adminis- 
tration, and the Food Administration. 

That work ought to be performed in daily contact with such 
governmental agencies. Hence it should be done in Washington. 

War work being given precedence, the commissioners should be in 
immediate touch with it. Under procedure laid down by law the 
peace-time work of the commission can not be entirely delegated, 
and so must center where the commissioners are. 

However, the commission several months ago established small 
branch offices in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco in order to 
save expense and time in travel. A larger part of our work can be 
thrown on these offices, but the resulting transfer of employees will 
not be great. 

Lastly, the commission being by its organic law required, to 
respond to requests by Congress and congressional committees, its 
archives should be in Washington. The commission will reduce the 
number of its staff in the District to the lowest possible number, but 
it does not appear that a transfer en bloc of the commission nor of 
any of its subdivisions would be in the public- interest. 

By direction of the commission. 
Yours, very truly, 

William B. Colvee, Chcdrman. 

Hon. Joseph Tumulty, 

The White House. 



United States Civil Service Commission, 

Washington., D. G .., Septemlier 11).., 1918. 

The President: 

In response to the letter of September 9 from your Secretary 
requesting that we report to you as to whether there are under the 
jurisdiction of this commission any bureaus, or parts of bureaus. 



TEAlSrSFEE OF BUREAUS FROM WASHINGTOIST, 13 

which could discharge their functions and perform their duties as 
well outside the District of Columbia as here, we have the honor to 
state that in the judgment of the commission it is necessary to the 
proper and efficient administration of the civil-service rules that the 
divisions of this office as at present constituted remain in this city. 
We have the honor to be, 

Very respectfully, John A. McIlhenny, 

Chas. M, Galloway, 
H. W. Craven, 

Commissioners. 



Office of the Public Printer, 
Washington^ Septemher 11^ 1918. 
My Dear Mr. Secretary : I am in receipt of yours under date of 
September 9, 1918, relative to report to the President as to whether 
there are under the Public Printer any bureaus, or parts of bureaus, 
commissions, or subdivisions which could discharge their functions 
and perform their duties as well outside the District as here, and also 
my judgment as to what action should be taken in response to the 
Senate resolution. 

In answer to the first part of the President's request : There are no 
bureaus, divisions, etc., under the control of the Public Printer that 
could perform their duties outside of the District. 

As to my judgment as to what action should be taken in response 
to the Senate resolution : The present congestion affects the Govern- 
ment Printing Office, and some remedy should be found to relieve the 
Public Printer; to-day he is confronted with a shortage of skilled 
help, and reasons assigned for refusal to accept positions in the Gov- 
ermnent Printing Office among the class of help in the main are want 
of living accommodations, caused no doubt by the large increase of 
war workers in the various new commissions, etc. 
Sincerely, yours, 

Cornelius Ford, 

Puhlic Printer. 
Hon. Joseph P. Tumulty, 

Secretary to the President., 

The White House., Washington., D. C. 



United States Tariff Commission, 

Washington., September 11., 1918. 
My Dear Mr. Tumulty : In reply to your letter of September 9, in- 
closing copy of the resolution adopted by the Senate in regard to 
the possible transfer to other places than Washington of parts of the 
work of this commission, I beg to state that no such transfer seems 
to be practicable. Our organization involves no division into bureaus 
or parts of bureaus. It is a united and comparatively small one, and 
the duties incumbent upon the commission can not be performed ef- 
fectively outside the District. 
1 remain, witli much respect, 
Very truly, yours, 

F. W. Taussig, Chairman. 
Hon. J. P. Tumulty, 

The White House, Washington. 



14 TRANSFER OF BUREAUS FROM WASHINGTON". 

United States Shipping Board, 

Washington, jSeptemher 11, 1918. 
Dear Mr. TuMULTr: Answering your inquiry of September 9, I 
do riot know of any bureaus or parts of bureaus, commissions, or 
subdivisions of the United States Shipping Board which could per- 
form their duties as well outside the District of Columbia as here. 
As you know, the United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet 
Corporation offices here moved to Philadelphia about the first of 
June, y/hich materially reduced our former organization in Wash- 
ington. 

Sincerely, yours, 

Edward N. Hurley, Chairman. 
Hon. J. P. Tumulty, 

Secretary to the President, 

The White House. 



United States Railroad Administration, 

Washington, September 13, 1918. 
My Dear Mr. President: In the absence of the Director General, 
I am responding to your inquiry of the 9th of September, submitted 
through Mr. Tumulty, as to whether there are under the jurisdiction 
of the Director General of Railroads any bureaus or other organiza- 
tions which could perform their duties as well outside the District of 
Columbia as inside it. The Railroad Administration has been built 
up on the theory that the organization in Washington should be kept 
as small as possible. As you are aware, a great part of the work 
connected with the Railroad Administration is carried on through 
the several regional directors and Federal managers, and only work 
of a general supervisory nature is conducted here in Washington. 
For this reason it would not be practicable to moA^e any of the exist- 
ing parts of the Railroad Administration to another city without 
impairing the efficiency of the organization. 

Sincerely, yours, Walker D. Hines. 

The President, 

The White House. 

War Trade Board, 

Washington, September 2Ii., 1918. 

My Dear Mr. President: In accordance with the request con- 
tained in Mr. Tumulty's letter of September 9, transmitting a copy 
of Senate resolution No. 296, I beg to report as follows : 

The War Trade Board has now some 18 branch offices, located in 
the more important cities, the employees of which total 135 people, 
there being about 300 in New York City alone. 

The War Trade Board in its functions is closely related to other 
boards and departments located in Washington. It is in constant 
touch, for instance, with the State, War, and Navy Departments, 
the Shipping Board, the Food Administration, the War Industries 
Board, and the foreign legations. The formulation of its rules and 
regulations is possible only by personal conference with officials of 
these departments. 



TEANSFER OF BUREAUS FROM WASHINGTON. 15 

In addition, certain problems of reorganization are now in con- 
templation which will result in a reduction in the number of 
employees. 

My recommendation is that to transfer the whole or any part 
of the War Trade Board at the present time at least would be 
inadvisable. 

Sincerely, yours, Vance C. McCormick, 

Chairman. 
The President, 

The White House. 



Committee on Public Information, 
Washington, D. C, September i^, 1918. 
Hon. Joseph P. Tumulty, 

The White House., Washington., D. G. 
My Dear Mr. Tumulty: Answering your letter of September 9, 
inclosing the copy of a resolution adopted by the Senate, I submit 
herewith a list of bureaus already maintained by this committee 
outside of Washington. 

From the first I have had the idea embodied in the Senate resolu- 
tion, and have carried it out to the best of my ability. The only 
divisions of the committee now in Washington are those that it is 
impossible for me to move to any other place. 
Sincerely, 

George Creel, Chairmati. 

NEW TOEK OFFICES. 

Division of Distribution (brancti), 461 Eightli Avenue. 
Labor Publications, 51 Chambers Street. 
Division of Advertising, 164 Metropolitan Tower. 
Division of Foreign Picture Service, 235 West Twenty-tbird Street, 
Division of Foreign Press Cable Service, 20 Broad Street. 
Division of Foreign Press Mail Service, 95 Mad son Avenue. 
Division of Pictorial Publicity, 1201 Fifth Avenue Building. 
Division of Films, Times Building, Times Square. 

WOEK WITH THE FOEEIGN BOEN. 

German Bureau, 32 Union Square. 

Hungarian Bureau, 20 Exchange Place and 123 East Twenty-third Street. 

Scandinavian Bureau, 235 West Twenty-third Street. 



United States Food Administration, 

Washington, September 12, 1918. 
Dear Mr. President: With respect to your inquiry as to whether 
any part of this department could be moved outside the District, I 
bog to say that already we have practically moved our Cereal Divi- 
sion to New York, and a large part of our sugar activities. I do not 
believe there is any other part of the organization that could be 
moved without very largely destroying the efficiency of the whole. 
So much of this work is dependent upon cooperation with other Gov- 
ernment departments that I can see little hope of advantageously 
m.oving it. 

Yours, faithfully, Herbert Hoover. 

His Excellency the President of the United States, 

Washington, D. C. 



16 



TKAlSrSFEE OP BUREAUS PEOM "> 

Office of the U. S. Fu 

Washington^ D. 



LIBRfiRY OF CONGRESS 



012 052 904 3 0\ 



Dear Mr. President: Concerning the possibility of moving bu- 
reaus or parts of bureaus of the Fuel Administration to points out- 
side the District of Columbia, I beg to advise that already we have 
decentralized, as much as is wisely possible, our administration. 
Several thousand members of the administration are now scattered 
over the several States. 

Cordially and faithfully, yours, H. A. Garfiem). 

President Woodrow Wilson, 

The White House^ Washington^ D. C. 



Alien Property Custodian, 
Washington^ D. (7., Se2Jtember 19^ 1918. 

Dear Mr. President : In response to your letter of the 9th instant, 
inclosing copy of resolution adopted by the Senate, I beg to say that, 
of approximately 570 officers and employees of this office, I have 
already established about 100 at our branf^h office in New York, where 
a considerable portion of our business is done. My selling organi- 
zation, charged with the duty of selling enemy-owned properties, is 
entirely in New York, and a large part of the Bureau of Investiga- 
tion is also there. I can not move out of the city any of the other 
bureaus in my office unless I move the entire organization, and this, I 
fear, would hinder greatlj^ the operation of the office. 

We must constantly keep in touch with other departments of the 
Government, especially the War Trade Board, Department of Jus- 
tice, and the State Department. Our communication with these de- 
partments is constant. In the matter of investigations of enemy-held 
propertj^ we cooperate closely, not only with the Department of Jus- 
tice but also with the Intelligence Bureaus of the War and Navy 
Departments. In issuing demands for enemy property we must keep 
in touch with the War Trade Board to make certain no licenses have 
been issued, as we issue demands only for the property of enemy 
persons not licensed. Besides this, before taking action in many 
cases, we are compelled to submit to the Department of State ques- 
tions bearing upon the" diplomatic policies of the Government. 

For these reasons I believe the duties of this office could not be 
performed " outside the District of Columbia as well as within its 
boundaries." 

Very respectfully, 

A. Mitchell Palmer. 

To the President, 

The White House. 



